White-nose syndrome impacts on bat communities

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has led to severe population declines of multiple hibernating bat species in the United States and Canada. We aim to document the distribution and habitat use of bats within Fort Campbell Army Base, and determine any community shifts since the introduction of WNS in the state. This project is in collaboration with Fort Campbell Fish and Wildlife.

For more information about WNS, visit the WNS Response Team website.

Temperature-mediated habitat selection

Moose populations are significantly declining due to parasite infection and warming temperatures. Moose are adapted to extremely cold environments, and therefore face over-heating during winter.  Immuno-comprised moose also faced with the additional stress of winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations during these critical time periods. Our overall goal is to determine the importance of forest management on moose health in regards to habitat selection. This project is in collaboration with the USUS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, the Bozeman Disease Ecology Lab at Montana State University, and the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish.

Supplemental feeding and disease transmission

Currently, Austin Peay State University has a feral cat colony that is supplemented by feeding stations. As APSU is located in an urban environment, there is the potential for disease spread from feral cats, supplemented by feeding on campus, to local outdoor domestic cats.  Our main goal is to determine if supplemental feeding of feral cat colonies increases disease transmission by inflating cat densities, increasing contact rates, and providing a mechanism for spillover into domestic cats and humans. This is a collaborative project with Drs. Mollie Cashner and Stefan Woltmann in the ASPU Department of Biology